CURRENT ENTERTAINMENTS

Evening Post, Volume CXXVII, Issue 118, 22 May 1939, Page 4

CURRENT ENTERTAINMENTS

REGENT THEATRE,

The exploits of Robert Montgomery as Joel Sioane, a dealer in rare books and sometime amateur detective, and his charming wife (Rosalind Russell) provide the action for "Fast and Loose, now in its second week at the Regent Theatre. It is the second pictu-e of the same kind with these players, and is also in similar vein to previous productions featuring William Powell and Myrna Loy The story is concerned with the disappearance from the home of a wealthy collector of a priceless nianuI script, followed by the murder of the collector and one or two other people who are about to clear up the mystery. The real murderer is cleverly hidden right to the last moment, and this without drawing any too conspicuous red of the programme is in keeping with the good main attraction. DE LUXE THEATRE. A. merry troupe of theatrical artists, stranSTn France's gay city with no Smey but great capabilities for getting S and out of trouble, are the cause of man? laughs and thrills.in "Stranded in Paris," which is showing at the De Luxe Theatre. The daughter of an American millionaire (Joan Bennett), tired of her staid young fiance and society life, joins the troupe and is soon followed by her father, also posing as a down-and-out. The . leader (Jack Benny) gets them all jobs in a fashion parade, under false pretences and his scheme would have worked out had not the millionaire borrowed a piece of valuable jewellery from the house to get it copied for his daughter The second feature, "Pirates of the Air is a thrilling film about an irresponsible young pilot who 30ms the U.S.A. flying police to make good and prove himself in the eyes of the woman he loves. Kent Taylor and Rochelle Hudson are starred. The third picture is the first chapter of the serial, "The Lone Ranger." MAJESTIC THEATRE. Those who view English film offerings with a certain amount of suspicion should waste no time in seeing "Premiere," now showing at the Majestic Theatre. This picture has all the ingredients of first-class entertainment —song, dance, back-stage atmosphere, and an interesting and quite painless murder. The entire action of the film takes place over a period of five hours. It commences just before the opening of a new Paris revue, and ends when the curtain comes down on the final act. During those short hours, however, the backer of the show, a rather odious person whom no one likes, is threatened twice with a gun. In an act of the show in which the pistols are used to fire blanks, the backer is shot dead in his box, where he sits alone. Fortunately, a famous detective is in the house, and as the show goes on he is sent for to find the slayer. The stars are John Lodge, Joan Marion, Judy Kelly, and Hugh Williams. ST. JAMES THEATRE. Comedy of a very high standard is contained in "Cowboy from Brooklyn," which is showing at the St. James j Theatre. In fact, it is a gem of a thing, notably performed by a cast which includes Dick Powell, Pat O'Brien, Dick Foran, Priscilla Lane, Ann Sheridan, and a host of minor character's of great talent. The story concerns a struggling musician-singer from Brooklyn, who gets tossed off a freight train somewhere in Wyoming, while on his way, with two companions, to Hollywood, fame, and fortune. They arrive at a dude ranch and the singer's life is in constant peril, for he suffers from a hereditary phobia against all livestock. A theatrical magnate from New York hears the singer and rushes him to New York billed as "Wyoming Steve." The cowboy is a good singer; but unfortunately a poor cowboy. PARAMOUNT THEATRE. First-rate entertainment is provided by the double-feature programme at the Paramount Theatre this week. One of the main attractions is "Keep Your Seats, Please," one of George Formy's latest efforts. When his aunt dies George is invited to attend the reading of the will, but the large gathering of relatives is disappointed to find that the fortune has been left to charity. George, however, receives a private note advising him to buy the dining-room chairs, in one of which a fortune is hidden. George attends the auction, but has no money, and the chairs are knocked down to half a dozen bidders. Most of the fun of the picture is provided by the hero's endeavours to find the right chair. The second main attraction is "No Parking," in which Gordon Harker gives a remarkable character study as a down-and-out car-park attendant, who accidentally impersonates a famous American gang leader and gunman. KILBIRNIE KINEMA. A "movie" in the real sense of the word, so packed with motion and action that it keeps the audience on the edge of its seats throughout, is "The Crowd Roars," Robert Taylor's latest stellar triumph, which is showing at the Kilbirnie Kinema. An ultramodern story of a four-sided romance, "Man-Proof," is the associate film, with a cast headed by Myrna Loy, Franchot Tone, Rosalind Russell, and Walter Pidgeon. STATE THEATRE, PETONE. Via the genius of David O. Selznick and the magic of technicolour, Mark Twain's famous characters step from the pages of his immortal story and on to the screen of the State Theatre where Mr. Selznick's inspired technicolour production, "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer," is showing. Tom Sawyer, Huckleberry Finn, Joe Harper, Becky Thatcher, Aunt Polly, Injun Joe, Muff Potter, a.id all the rest come to vivid life again in this entertaining film. PALACE THEATRE, PETONE. "Annabel Takes a Tour," starring Jack Oakie, Lucille Ball, and a cast of comedians, is showing at the Palace Theatre. The second feature is "Telephone Operator," with Judith Allen, Grant Withers, Alice White, in a thrilling story. GRAND THEATRE. PETONE. With the most exciting and glamorous spot in the world as its locale and the greatest aggregation of entertainers from both the East and the West in I the cast, Walter Wanger's "52nd Street," which is showing at the Grand Theatre, makes a powerful bid for popular acclaim.! "Swing Your Lady," a Warner Bros, farce-comedy dealing with life among the hillbillies of the U.S.A. mountain country, is the second feature. Humphrey Bogart and Frank McHugh are starred. king george theatre, lower ; hutt. I 1 "The Adventures of Robin Hood," a ' Warner Bros, technicolour version of ; the famous story, is the main attrac- '■ tion at the King George Theatre. ; One of the most important pictures of ' the year, it has been acclaimed by ! critics and audiences as a masterpiece ;|of screen entertainment. Errol Flynn ; and Olivia de Havilland head a large 'and impressive cast, >

CITY AND SUBURBAN THEATRES

KING'S THEATRE

The picturisation of Rudyard Kip- 1 ling's stirring poem of patriotism and 1 devotion, "Gunga Din," is now in its 1 second week at the Kings ] Theatre. The film is a vigor- 1 our one, with stirring battle 1 scenes on the Indian frontier, spectacu- < lar charges b> mounted Indian cavalry, ! accompanied, for a great part, by. the 1 rumble of guns. The three soldiers 1 of the Queen whose adventures form : the bulk of the plot are played by Gary : Grant, Victor McLaglan, and Douglas Fairbanks, jun. There are many comic : sequences, largely as a result of the ; friendly bickering among the three comrades. Fairbanks wants to leave the regiment to marry, the reason be- : ing Joan Fontaine, but his comrades conspire against him to stop this. Finally foolery 6 ives way to 5 drama. Gunga Din, the humble water-carrier, who, in his last hours of life, reaches ' the highest peak of heroism and is in death honoured with the title of soldier, is played by Sam Jaffe. PLAZA THEATRE. Although sequels are often inferior to the original productions, "Topper Takes a Trip," second of the films dealing with the adventures of Toppsr, has managed to recapture the same spirit of hilarious fun which made the first film such a popular favourite. Possessing the same characters as its predecessor, "Topper Takes a Trip' merely carries on the story where the other left off, and the film, which is showing at the Plaza Theatre, carries the frivolous yarn to a very satisfactory conclusion. Roland Young, who reappears as Topper, is at the top cf his form, and his comic bewilderment at the scrapes into which Constance Bennett, as the playful ghost, leads him is a feature of the film. Topper is first seen in the divorce court with his wife, played by Billie Burke, but the feminine ghost and her pet dog, set upon doing their good deed, decide to reunite the pair. STATE THEATRE. Jane Withers, the child star wno has created more trouble per foot of film than anyone of her own weight, trumps all her catastrophic adventures in "Always in Trouble," which is showing at the State Theatre. The prosperity of her family does not amuse Jane; the investment worries of her father (Andrew Tombes). the "socialities" of her mother (Nana Bryant), and the love difficulties of her sister (Jean Rogers) are so much annoying hindrances to the natural fun of life. Jane decides to save her father from the nagging of the family, but her brilliant scheme, as usual, has its drawbacks, although ultimate success. Away on the family yacht goes the family, with a new-found friend of Jane masquerading as the father, and that is where the mix-up starts. An impressive sequence in "Melody and Romance," the main supporting film, is the famous Crystal Palace fire. The I film is a fine musical cornedi 1. TUDOR THEATRE. Bernard Shaw's masterpiece, .'Pygmalion," which is shattering long-run and gross receipts records in all Eng-lish-speaking countries, especially in America, has returned for another Wellington season at the Tudor Theatre. Thus "Pygmalion" establishes a new record for length of run made by any talking • picture in Wellington. The popularity of the film is unbounded. "Pygmalion," outstandingly acted by Wendy Hiller, Leslie Howard, Wilfrid Lawson, and Marie Lohr, and a long cast of distinguished players, is splendid entertainment. ROXY THEATRE. "Say It In French," Paramount's sparkling new comedy starring Ray Millarid and Olympne Bradna, is showing at ttie Roxy Theatre. The story is a masterpiece of Parisian wit and sophistication. Wayne Morris, the sensational- newcomer to the screen who became famous overnight for his work in "Kid Gallahad" and "Submarine D-l," appears in the supporting feature. "The Kid Comes Back." NEW PRINCESS THEATRE. With William Powell and Myrna Loy back in the farcical type of roles which have made them famous as the most amusing co-starring team on the screen, "Double Wedding" heads the programme at the New Princess Theatre. The associate feature is New Universal Films' riotous screen entertainment, "Little Tough Guys in Society," starring Mischa Aver, Mary Boland, and Edward Everett Horton, in addition to the "Little Tough Guys." REX THEATRE. "Savage Gold" and "Sunset Trail" conclude tonight at the Rex Theatre. The arch-enemy of crime, Charlie Chan, comes face to face with the king of terror, Boris Karloff, in "Charlie Chan at the Opera," which opens tomorrow. Warner Oland plays the famous Chinese sleuth. The story of "Banjo On My Knee," the second feature, is set in the locale of Tobacco Road, and offers something entirely different in screen plot construction, with its drama of the shanty-boaters on the lower Mississippi River. Barbara Stanwyck and Joel McCrea are co-starred. REGAL THEATRE, KARORI, AND EMPHEE, ISLAND BAY. "Jezebel," a colourful and exciting romantic drama of the South of the U.S.A., shortly before the Civil War, is showing at both the Regal and Empire Theatres. Bette Davis is costarred with Henry Fonda, George Brent, and Margaret Lindsay. Bette plays a wilful, spoiled, tempestuous young Dixie belle who achieves the name of the wicked Biblical character Jezebel because she defies Southern tradition. "Dead Men Tell No Tales," the screen adaptation of Francis Beeding's thriller "Norwich Victims," is the associate film. It is a thriller that really thrills. Heading the cast is Emlyn Williams as a pedantic Norwich headmaster at whose school a series of mysterious deaths occur, commencing with the school mistress, who disappears immediately following the announcement that she had won a big prize in a Continental lottery. OUR THEATRE NEWTOWN. "Young Dr. Kildare" heads the double-feature programme at Our Theatre. Lew Ayres, Lynne Carver, and Lionel Barrymore have the principal roles. The story presents an ambitious interne in a metropolitan hospital, in love with his boyhood sweetheart. He wins the interest and friendship of a veteran surgeon, portrayed brilliantly by Barrymore. However, the young doctor encounters difficulty in 1" profession, first when he protects a fellowinterne who fails-to save the life of a prominent politician and again when he disagrees with a superior. "The Big Show," starring Gene Autry, is the second attraction. CAPITOL THEATRE, MIRAMAR. Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy again leave behind them a trail of hilarious disaster. In "Block-Heads," their new Hal Roach-M.G.M. comedy, which is showing at the Capitol Theatre, the two funsters persevere in their wellmeaning way. but fortunately for a world that likes to laugh, the obstacles are almost insurmountable. Spencer Tracy and Joan Crawford head the cast in "Mannequin," the associate attraction. There is also an outstanding array of short subjects. SEASIDE THEATRE, LYALL BAY. A tense, gripping story of a Cos- j sack who, transplanted to Kansas, thought he could dominate the countryside with his brutal, modern cattlerustling racket brings Akim Tamiroff, Frances Farmer, and Leif Erikson to | : the screen at the Seaside Theatre in "Escape From Yesterday." Bing . Crosby, Shirley Ross, and Franciska Gaal get thoroughly mixed up in mad antics in "Paris Honeymoon," the associate attraction,

TIVOLI THEATRE,

''Trade Winds" and '•Convict 99" conclude tonight at the Tivoli Theatre.

Conquering where kings, emperors, and Pharaohs had failed, Ferdinand de Lesseps created ' the Suez Canal—the waterway that today has become the jugular vein of the world. The idea of a short water route to the empires lof the East has long captivated men's imaginations. Columbus. Magellan, Vasco da Gama, and the explorer heroes of history .sought such a route in vain. But de Lesseps dreamed of tearing Africa and Asia apart to join the Mediterranean with the Red Sea that ships might sail the desert to the Levant. Driven by the love of two women, de Lesseps realised his magnificent dream despite the most discouraging obstacles a man ever faced. Such is the story of "Suez," the 20th Century-Fox spectacular drama, which opens tomorrow. Tyrone Power, Loretta Young, and Annabella share top honours in the film. The equality of women gets better than an even break in "My Dear Miss Aldrich," the amusing comedy which will be the associate film. Edna May Oliver, Maureen O'Sullivan, and Walter Pidgeon top a first-rate cast. RIVOLI THEATRE. "Trade Winds" and "Gangster's Boy" conclude tonight at the Rivoli Theatre. A hectic romance" between an impetuous heiress and a poor newspaperman blossoms in the shadow of a murder mystery in R.K.O. Radio's "The Mad Miss Manton," starring Barbara Stanwyck and Henry Fonda, which opens tomorrow. With its background a large Eastern metropoliSj the story traces the efforts of an impulsive society girl to solve a baffling murder to spite a newspaper editor who ridicules her futile existence, as well as that of her social clique. Two bodies, one of which vanishes mysteriously and reappears, four suspects in the double murder, and a wealth of coniplications, hair-raising threats, surprising discoveries, and an ingenious solution make up the deftly-handled mystery element in the picture. Telling an emotional story of adventure and thrills in the lives of wireless operators on American merchant ships, Universal's production of "The Storm" is the associate film. Filmed against the colourful background of giant ships and thundering storms at sea, the narrative possesses power and realism. Top-flight performances are turned in by the cast of popular stars, which includes Charles Bickford, Barton MacLane, Preston Foster, Tom Brown, Nan Grey, Andy Devine, and Frank Jenks. TONIGHT'S WRESTLING. Rolland Kirchmeyer and Ignacio Martinez, two big, fast, and aggressive wrestlers,, will meet in the professional : bout at the Wellington Town Hall tonight. Kirchmeyer has been in Auckland since his arrival, his fine performances there having caused him to be booked for three matches before he could embark on the rest of his tour. Martinez will be making his New Zealand debut. The combined heights of these two men is just under 13ft, Kirchmeyer being 6ft 7in and Martinez 6ft 4in, while their weights total over 34 stone, Martinez having the advantage by a few pounds. The men are also noted for their skilful as well ■ as rugged wrestling and their use of 1 jolts, tackles, and dumps, combined 1 with novel specialty holds, will make the bout full of interest. Particulars are advertised, DE LUXE THEATRE, LOWER HUTT. In "The Vampire Bat," Action Pictures' thrilling mystery film, screening at the De Luxe Theatre, there is , told an amazing story of adventure, in a little Austrian village, where for centuries has existed the story of, vampires—dread beings that can be humans .by day and bloodsucking bats by i night. Supporting the star, Melvyn Douglas, are Lionel Atwill, Fay Wray, , and George E. Stone. The associate i feature shows the Jones Family in "Love on a Budget."